After Si Que left the dungeon, he headed to the Zhao family estate.
Winter had set in, and the lake water was icy cold. Jia Wenyin, having fallen into the lake during the day, returned home with a slight fever and headache. To make matters worse, her nasty mother-in-law scolded her all day, leaving her no peace. Only at night, after she had finished copying the family rules as punishment, did Jia Wenyin finally get to rest.
Jia Wenyin called her two trusted aides to her side.
“Have you arranged everything I instructed?” Jia Wenyin asked, frowning.
“Rest assured, Madam. The people are ready and waiting for your command on when to act.”
The other aide smiled and said, “Madam, you have a brilliant plan. That Lady You is now the Princess Consort at the Jinnan Prince’s Mansion, so we can’t do anything to her. But the You family, with the old and the young, surely won’t be on guard. If we harm that child of theirs, injuring his leg first, Lady You will surely rush back home in distress. We can then seize the opportunity to abduct her and send her to the brothel. Even if she shamelessly survives, the Jinnan Prince’s Mansion won’t tolerate her!”
A sneering voice saying “Fools” came from outside the window, startling Jia Wenyin.
“Who’s out there?” Jia Wenyin quickly pushed open the window.
In the moonlight, a figure dressed in black stood outside. The cold wind lifted the black veil, revealing Si Que’s face.
Jia Wenyin was stunned, stepping back in shock, not understanding how this person had entered the locked rear courtyard. She stared at Si Que’s face and quickly noticed he was dressed as a man.
Could it be that he was not Princess Que?
Suspicious, Jia Wenyin asked, “Who exactly are you? Could it be… Are you Prince Si Lang of the Si Kingdom?”
Si Que slowly curved his lips into a slight smile.
—He hated that he and Si Lang had the same face.
The black veil fell back, covering his face again.
Si Que sighed; there were indeed too many fools in this world.
The next day, You Yuji, as usual, met with a few concubines who came to pay their respects. After Chunxing, Cuiyu, and Lin Yingying left, she leaned back in a chair and instructed Lady Jing to arrange for someone to send some light gifts to the Zhao family, as their new daughter-in-law had fallen into the water at their mansion the day before.
But before Lady Jing could leave, Baohe came running in. Her eyes bright, she said, “Madam! The woman who fell into the water at our mansion yesterday has gone mad!”
You Yuji was slightly startled and sat up straighter, asking Baohe to explain in detail.
“The entire capital is talking about it! Yesterday, Madam Jia, after being scolded and punished by her mother-in-law for falling into the water, suddenly went mad in the night, dug out her own eyes, strung them on a red thread, hung them around her neck, and started dancing in the courtyard!”
You Yuji frowned upon hearing this.
The two maids beside her were also quite frightened by the gruesome scene.
Zhenxu even furrowed her brows and asked, “Is this for real? Sounds like a made-up story to me.”
“Really! Everyone is talking about it now. If you don’t believe me, go out and ask around,” Baohe said confidently. “The Zhao family has hired several doctors. Lady Jia went mad and even scratched the doctors’ faces!”
Lady Jing uncertainly sought You Yuji’s instructions, “Should we still send the gifts?”
You Yuji thought for a moment and decided to have Lady Jing prepare the gifts, adding more to the original plan. She reclined on the chaise with her pet cat, Baisui, and the more she thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed.
Lady Jia had fallen into the water at the Jinnan Prince’s Mansion during the day and went mad at night? Could this incident be linked to the Jinnan Prince’s Mansion? She pondered this and asked Zhenxu to find out more about Lady Jia.
You Yuji also recalled that when Lady Jia fell into the water, only Si Que was nearby. After Lady Jia was rescued, she pointed at Si Que, accusing him of harming her.
You Yuji lowered her eyes, looking at Baisui, who was nibbling on her clothing tie.
“Was the supplemental meal I ordered sent to Yunxiao Courtyard yesterday?” You Yuji asked a maid.
The maid reported, “The kitchen just finished it; they are about to send it over.”
“I’ll deliver it myself.” You Yuji rescued the tie from Baisui’s paws, put the cat down, and saw the tie was damaged. She gave Baisui a fond look, patted its head, and went inside to change clothes before heading to Yunxiao Courtyard.
Si Que stood by the window, hands resting on the sill, watching a few dry leaves in the courtyard flutter in the wind. He noticed You Yuji appear in his sight and followed her with his eyes.
“Sister,” he called to her through the window.
You Yuji looked up and gave him a gentle smile, then continued inside. She climbed the stairs, followed by Baohe, who placed the food box on the table.
Si Que saw this and asked, “Sister, are you here to have lunch with me?”
You Yuji did not respond immediately. She first sent Baohe away.
“I have something to ask you.” You Yuji approached Si Que, looking into his eyes. “Yesterday at Jing Lake, how exactly did Lady Jia fall into the water?”
Si Que returned her gaze with a look of disappointment. “Sister doesn’t believe me.”
You Yuji spoke softly, “It’s not that I don’t believe you, but you were the only one there at the time. Now that something has happened to Lady Jia, I’m worried that people will come questioning you.”
You Yuji watched as the disappointment vanished from Si Que’s eyes, replaced by a clean smile. Her heart softened, and she reminded herself not to doubt Si Que in the future.
“She said she hated you and wanted to harm you,” Si Que said with clear and sincere eyes. “I walked over and told her it was wrong to harm others. She panicked because her plan was overheard and fell into the lake.”
You Yuji’s frown gradually relaxed, and she slowly nodded, saying, “Alright, I understand.”
This time, it was Si Que who frowned. He looked at You Yuji with distress and asked, “Sister, does someone think I harmed her? Sister, will they arrest me and torture me for answers? Sister, what should I do?”
He looked into You Yuji’s eyes and called her “Sister” once more.
Hearing him call her “Sister” several times made You Yuji feel a bit uncomfortable.
She had already found out Si Que’s birth date. Though they were the same age, he was clearly six months older than her.
She comforted softly, “Alright, nothing will happen. No one will drag you into prison for harsh interrogation. Just relax.”
“Okay, I’ll listen to you, sister,” Si Que slowly smiled. “You are really good to me.”
You Yuji observed Si Que’s complexion and said gently, “You look quite good today. I brought you some nourishing food. Let me know which one you like, and I’ll bring more tomorrow.”
Si Que glanced at the food box on the table and asked, “Will you join me, sister?”
You Yuji shook her head and replied in a gentle voice, “The princess asked me to have lunch with her this morning. She might nag me again, so I won’t be able to stay with you.”
Si Que’s bright eyes dimmed momentarily. But he quickly smiled again and obediently said, “Alright.”
You Yuji didn’t stay long and soon left Yunxiao Courtyard.
As she turned to go downstairs, You Yuji recalled the way Si Que smiled at her, feeling a strange emotion stirring within. She sensed a certain dependence Si Que had on her and pondered carefully to determine if it was just her imagination.
You Yuji furrowed her brows. She suddenly stopped and looked back, only to see Si Que standing by the window, watching her leave. You Yuji was momentarily startled, then returned a gentle smile before turning and continuing on her way.
Once You Yuji’s figure was out of sight, Si Que turned to the table, expressionless as he opened the food box, looking at the nourishing dishes inside.
“They’re all very nourishing,” Si Que suddenly laughed. “What, is sister afraid I won’t have the strength to sow seeds properly?”
Without using chopsticks, Si Que picked up a piece of greasy pigeon meat with his hands and ate it slowly. After finishing the entire piece, he licked the rich broth and oil from his fingers.
“I’ll listen to sister and nourish myself well,” Si Que said with a smile.
In the following days, Si Que didn’t see You Yuji again but kept eating the nourishing food she sent over.
Five days passed in a blink, arriving at the day Si Que and You Yuji had agreed upon.
As dusk fell, Si Que changed clothes and headed to Tanxiang Yingyue.
You Yuji was also quite anxious.
She sat alone by the bed, without any maids attending her, even Baisui was kept outside the bedroom tonight. You Yuji frequently glanced at the bowl of medicinal soup on the small table by the bed, which was prescribed by Imperial Physician Hu to aid in conception.
Her mind was in turmoil. She had to divert her attention, thinking about her bedridden mother.
Whenever she thought of her seriously ill mother, she felt deeply distressed. These thoughts would lead her mind to wander, recalling the past years, comparing them with her mother’s current frail appearance, which made her heart ache even more.
Unconsciously, a tear fell on the back of her hand.
You Yuji noticed her tears and quickly wiped the moisture from her hand and eyes. If she cried, her eyes would stay red for a long time. She didn’t want Si Que to see her with red eyes.
She started worrying about Si Que’s health…
“Madam, Princess Que brought new lyrics for you to see,” Baohe reported from outside.
You Yuji’s heart skipped a beat. Despite being fully prepared, she couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous when Si Que actually arrived. After a moment, she softly said, “Let him in.”
Si Que entered You Yuji’s bedroom and immediately saw her sitting by the bed.
“Big sister,” Si Que said, walking towards You Yuji, his gaze fixed on her. She wore a light apricot cross-collar top and a dark blue long skirt. Si Que’s eyes traveled from her head to her toes and back up again, lingering on her cross-collar top. She had on a chest binder, and the light apricot top fitted snugly around her, with her belt neatly tied.
Her hair was also meticulously styled.
Si Que openly observed You Yuji, and she, in turn, glanced at him a few times, concerned about his health.
“Big sister,” Si Que called again, sitting down by the bed.
You Yuji nodded lightly in response, her heart filled with worry.
She was concerned that Si Que’s body couldn’t handle much exertion, especially since she had seen him in a wheelchair a few days ago, lacking the strength to walk. You Yuji hesitated to voice her concern directly, fearing it might hurt his pride. So, she lied, “Imperial Physician Hu gave me a fertility medicine, and it needs to be… fast.”
“Fast?” Si Que asked, puzzled.
“Yes. In a moment, you need to be quick!” You Yuji grasped the bedding beside her, lifting her legs onto the bed. She leaned forward, drawing the bed curtains with a hint of panic.
She moved to lie down on the bed.
Her heart pounded, and she bit her red lips, lifting her skirt. She wore white underpants, different from the usual ones she wore to bed.
Si Que glanced at them, his gaze freezing.
—They were crotchless pants.
You Yuji’s gaze met his, her face flushed. “Quickly!” she urged.
Si Que suddenly understood.
So, she really just wanted a child.
Si Que slowly lifted his dark eyelashes, smiling. “Alright, I’ll listen to you, big sister.”
He climbed onto the bed, maintaining a kneeling position.
As the bed curtains swayed, You Yuji turned her face away, hiding it in the dark shadows of the bed, trying hard to distract herself by thinking of other things.
A long time later, You Yuji hurriedly got off the bed to fetch the medicine on the small table and drank it.
Her top remained neatly in place.
Si Que remained in a kneeling position on the bed, his upper garment also intact. He tied his belt and glanced at You Yuji, who was drinking the medicine.
Big sister had a heart of stone; she didn’t even hug him once.
